From Racer To Amateur Sleuth: A Piston Cup Mystery On Cruz Ramirez
by Cruz Ramirez The Banana Girl
Summary: Cruz Ramirez is a happy car. She loves racing for Team Dinoco and loves working with Tex. However, she turns into an amateur sleuth after Tex is suspected of a crime he didn't commit. Cruz knows who did the crime but she doesn't have evidence so she seeks help from her friends. Will she be able to solve the case and prove her sponsor is innocent or, will it be a failure?
1. Chapter 1

NOTE: I do not own Robert Scott Marshall. He belongs to Adventurewildlife. I was also inspired to make this story after watching a mystery movie and thought about how cool it would be if Cruz did solve a crime and became an amateur sleuth as she is also a racer. Anyway i hope you like my story and let me know if you like mysteries to. Also one more note. I will be uploading more chapters so that's why this story is in progress.

"And we have come to another year of Piston Cup racing." announced Darrell Cartrip.

Bob Cutlass chimed in. "Right you are Darrell. After winning the Florida 500 Cruz Ramirez already has four wins. Team Dinoco is looking for another win."

"Well, she'll get it because this year has a lot of opportunities." replied Darrell.

In the pits, Lightning McQueen and his pit crew were keeping a watch on Cruz. Lately she has been getting flats and has had to pit and as a result, Tex Dinoco who not only owned Dinoco, but now owned Rusteze, would always have to talk to Lightning and his crew about the problem. However, the plans never worked out.

By the end of the race, Cruz had her paint scratched after she had slammed the wall many times. Tex looked at her and could not believe how much paint came off her.

"Cruz, hon that's a nasty scratch." replied Tex. At this point he knew he would have to call the body shop team.

"Sorry sir." replied Cruz, "I tried not to hit the wall, but I guess I tried too hard."

"Mm." Tex replied in a disappointed tone. He left to call the body shop team. He wanted them to fix his racer before the race next weekend. Meanwhile, crews began to start packing up their trailers and were getting ready to leave.

Soon, Tex came back. He was able to send Cruz early to be repaired.

"Cruz, come on we have to get you repaired tomorrow. For now though, let's get our stuff packed and then start getting ready for the next race."

"Yes sir." replied Cruz and followed Tex outside to leave the stadium after everything was packed inside her trailer.


	2. Chapter 2

The next day, Cruz was sent to the body shop team. They were going to remove the scratch and then clean up the smeared paint. Tex was there so he could supervise the work. Cruz hated getting her paint job redone because she always had a hard time staying still and it bothered her.

"Cruz, go over there. I'll be there in a few minutes." replied Tex as he pointed to a corner with his tire. Cruz obeyed her sponsor's order and went to the corner.

A few minutes later the crew began to do the repairs on Cruz. Tex was supervising the work and directed how the design looked like and inspected every piece of work before the crew continued with the work. Even though Tex was modest, he always wanted everything to be organized and perfect. However, Cruz was not always where Tex wanted her to be and he tried to stay calm. Whenever Cruz had to get repairs, she would always have trouble remaining still and already began moving.

"Cruz, please stay still." replied Tex.

"Sorry sir. You know how much I hate this and I'm trying my best to remain still but it's hard." replied Cruz.

"I know Cruz. I know, but your almost done so just hang on for a while longer." replied Tex.

However, Cruz had began to move again and this time, she got nervous. One of the crew members accidentally pushed a paint scraper hard on her body. She yelped painfully and began to get scared. Tex immediately had to calm her down before she made the work harder and possibly even worse.

"Cruz, it's okay. I'm right here. Your okay." replied Tex.

Feeling assured that she was alright, Cruz began to calm down again and the crew was able to continue working on the repairs.

 _2 hours later_

Finally Cruz was finished being repaired. Her bright yellow paint shone as good as new and the Dinoco logo glistened it's metallic blue paint. Cruz loved her paint job a lot. Even though it was always annoying when she had to have it fixed all the time. Cruz watched as Tex wrote out a check with his tire to pay for the repairs. After the check was done, Tex and Cruz were ready to leave.

"Cruz, let's go. We still have to train the rest of the day for the race next weekend." replied Tex while the two drove out of the repair shop.

"Yes sir. Right away sir." replied Cruz.

"Looking good Cruz." replied Dinoco's former racer, Strip Weathers. Even though he was retired from the circuit, he was still a prominent figure to the sport and would always be Dinoco's golden boy. He loved going to the races so he could see Tex and Cruz.

"Just be careful." replied Tex, and he left. Lightning approached his sponsor with a folder he had.

"Hey, Mr. Tex." replied Lightning. Tex turned around and saw Lightning driving toward him. He drove toward Lightning so they met close to the middle.

"Yeah, what's up?" asked Tex. Lightning pulled out a sketch of a plan he had made out of the folder. It was for the race next weekend.

"I discussed with Luigi about when Cruz should pit for the last time, so this way maybe we could have a chance of getting a win." replied Lightning. Tex looked over the paper and followed every note as Lightning continued explaining what the plan was. He remained silent for a few minutes then began to speak.

"Well, here's my concern. We had her pit in the 60 range and we got in 12th place." replied Tex.

"But she can't pit in the late laps either. When she pitted in the 80 range we though we would be fine, but then her tire got flat and we got in 22nd place." replied Lightning.

Tex knew that the only other option for Cruz to pit the last time would be in the 50 to 40 range. He didn't want it to be too far or too close to the end of the race.

"Have her pit in the 50 range or 40 range. I think we might be fine from that lap range." replied Tex.

"Will do sir. Now, I must go and train Cruz now." replied Lightning.

"Very well Lightning. Head over to Cruz and start." replied Tex.

"Yes sir." replied Lightning and Tex went to talk to the other sponsors and he went to fetch Cruz so the two of them could start training.


	3. Chapter 3

Already the rest of the week had passed. Team Dinoco was getting ready for the race that was taking place at the Los Angeles International Speedway.

"Alright guys. Get ready let's go let's go." replied Tex. Already it had taken him 30 minutes to make sure everything was ready before he went up to the Dinoco booth.

"Lightning, headset working?" asked Tex.

"Yes sir. It's working." replied Lightning.

"Luigi, Guido pit crew equipment!" hollered Tex.

"Si." replied Luigi.

"Fillmore, fuel!" hollered Tex, in an almost commanding tone.

"Yes sir. I got it." replied Fillmore.

"Cruz. Are you ready?" asked Tex.

"Yes sir. I'm ready." replied Cruz.

"That's my racer." replied Tex as he smiled at her then spoke to everyone.

"As all of you know. I always watch from a high view, so I can see what is going on in the pit area. Remember, behave yourselves, do your best, and don't get into fights with the other teams and maybe we can get another win."

"Yes sir." replied everyone. Just then, the speaker went on.

"All racers report to the track." announced the loudspeaker.

"Ok guys good luck." replied Tex and he left while Cruz got onto the track. Lightning drove onto the pit box as Cruz got in her starting position. She would be starting in 14th place. He placed his headset on him and the race began to start.

 _100 laps into the race_

Already Cruz's progress was going well. She was in 10th place. There were only 100 laps more to go. However, things were about to take a dark and unexpected turn.

In the pits, Natalie Certain and Chick Hicks were waiting for the race to end. At every race, they would interview some of the racers before the race and after the race to see how they were going to try harder at the next race and what they would do to adjust their strategies. Shannon Spokes would head to Victory Lane to congratulate the team who won and would interview the driver, sponsor, and pit crew.

 _After the race_

Cruz and the Dinoco team began packing up. Sadly she had finished in 5th place, but no matter where she finished, Tex was still proud of her. This is what Cruz liked about Tex. If she did not finish in the top places, Tex would not yell at her. Instead he would help her adjust her strategy so this way she could have a better chance of winning next time. Sometimes if she felt nervous before a race, Tex would tell her how happy he was proud of her work and would give her the support she needed and after getting the support from her sponsor, Cruz would feel better.

Then all of a sudden, a loud scream sounded throughout the stadium. The scream was so loud the stadium grew silent within seconds. Officers and security went over to where the screaming was heard. Cruz and the rest of the Dinoco team went over to see what happened.

"Guys, get back here!" hollered Tex. But no one heard him so he followed to where everyone else was gathered.

"Someone's been shot." replied Officer Ramos

"Okay. Everyone you have to leave the area now." replied another officer. Soon everyone left the area and the officers began to communicate.

"Did you try CPR?" asked Officer Ramos.

"I tried, but they were already deceased." replied Detective Arthur Smith.

"Okay, just keep looking for evidence such as identification and personal belongings. I'm going to close this area off and then we'll have to organize a search warrant to search all of the buildings that each racing team owns." replied Officer Ramos.

"Will do." replied Detective Smith and everyone else continued working.


	4. Chapter 4

At the Dinoco business, Cruz was still shaken up following what had happened yesterday at the track. Tex was not happy at all about it, but he still felt bad about what had happen to the victim. Whenever something like this happened, the police had to give out search warrants and search through all of the buildings each racing team had. Tex knew he had to respect law enforcement and obey what he had to do as well as instruct the workers, staff, and pit crew where to go even though he knew he couldn't work.

Everything was slow at the Dinoco business. Due to the fact that the police would be coming over to search the building, Tex decided to not have anyone work, but no one would be able to go on lunch break since everyone was told to stay in their building. Most of the workers were annoyed because they wanted to get their lunch. However, Tex couldn't allow them to disobey the command the police directed them to follow.

At the Los Angeles International Speedway, the police were still investigating what had happened yesterday. They had been at the scene the rest of the day and into the nighttime. But the work was worth it because more evidence had been found even though everyone was tired, they had to keep working. Robert Scott Marshall, who was the chief for Dinoco's security team, arrived at the scene. He had been asked by Tex Dinoco, his boss to assist with the investigation.

"Ok, what do we have so far?" asked Marshall.

"Victim is a 34 year-old female. She's been shot on the right side and is identified as Poppy Wilson." replied Detective Smith.

"Hey, detective, later we have to do the search warrants right?" asked Officer Ramos.

"Yes we do. We will need a lot of officers because there are a lot of racing teams. The first building we have to search is Team Dinoco and the rest of the officers will search the other teams." replied Detective Smith and he continued looking for evidence.

 _Team Dinoco's building 12:00 noontime_

By noontime, 50 police officers were searching the building. Officers were searching through computers, folders, closets, shelves, boxes, desks, and storage rooms to find any evidence that could lead them to Poppy's killer. Already, one worker was complaining a lot about not being able to get their lunch.

"I'm hungry. Can I get my lunch now?" asked Adrian. He was the driver for Cruz and complained a lot when everything was slow. Tex heard Adrian complain and drove over to where he was.

"Adrian, you know you can't leave during a search warrant. It's against the law." replied Tex. "I'm sure they'll be done with us soon, then you can get your lunch."

"Fine." replied Adrian and Tex left to get back to the officers. Cruz drove toward Adrian.

"Here, you can have some of my salad if you want." replied Cruz.

"But what will you eat?" asked Adrian.

"It's fine. I had a big breakfast." replied Cruz. "My brother always makes sure I take lunch with me even though I tell him I don't want any lunch."

"I really don't like salad." replied Adrian. "It's fine. I'll just wait until the officers leave."

"Ok, if you say so." replied Cruz and she drove away back to her desk.

 _2 hours later_

After 2 hours, the police had finally finished searching Dinoco's building. But, they still had more buildings to search and it would be a while. Tex was able to allow everyone to go on their lunch breaks. However, Cruz was still upset by what had happened and hoped it wasn't her best friend Poppy. The two girls grew up very close to each other. They would have sleepovers, have parties, and play together. Cruz loved those memories and really loved Poppy a lot. But, soon enough she was going to receive devastating news that would make her feel crushed for the rest of her life.

"Cruz, you ok?" asked Lightning. Cruz looked up at Lightning. He had just finished organizing papers for Tex and would be going for his lunch break.

"Y-yeah, I-I'm alright." replied Cruz in a shaky voice. "I'm just thinking about stuff." Lightning didn't look convinced. He knew it was something more and her face said it all. Not just the way she responded to him.

"Cruz, are you sure your ok?" asked Lightning. Cruz began to feel uncomfortable and began to feel a little conscious. She then began to get upset, and began crying.

"Yes I'm fine. Just leave me alone!" replied Cruz and she drove away and left the building just as Tex came into the room.

"Lightning, everything ok?" asked Tex. Lightning looked up. He was very concerned about Cruz's behavior and wasn't sure about what was bothering her.

"I don't know but something's wrong with Cruz. She's not acting right." replied Lightning. Tex looked at where Cruz had her lunch then looked back at Lightning.

"She didn't even eat her lunch?" asked Tex.

"No, she didn't. She was trying to give it to someone, but they didn't want it." replied Lightning. Tex pushed a coffee cup away from him then, he started to leave the building.

"I'm going to find Cruz. Stay here if anything happens." replied Tex.

"Yes sir." replied Lightning, and Tex left the building to look for Cruz.


	5. Chapter 5

Here's chapter 5. I hope you are enjoying the story so far.

Tex looked for Cruz wherever she could be. He hoped she hadn't gotten far away. He had no choice, but look all over the buildings for her. He hoped she was alright and decided to ask her if she was alright.

"Cruz!" called Tex. He had been calling her name ever since he couldn't find her. He was starting to worry. This was never like her and it scared him.

"Cruz!" called Tex. This time, he heard a crumpling noise. He saw a yellow figure moving in the bushes. Tex also saw metallic blue paint on the figure. Soon enough, he was able to see the figure in full view and saw it was Cruz.

"Cruz, I've been looking for you." replied Tex. "Do you realize how dangerous that was?" Cruz looked at her sponsor with a look that told him she didn't want to talk, but she knew she would have to talk to him.

"Sorry sir. I needed time alone. I'm just scared." replied Cruz. Tex knew and began to understand what was bothering her.

"Cruz, Lightning told me that something is bothering you. He tried talking to you, but you got upset." replied Tex. Cruz nodded her front in agreement.

"Yeah. There is something that's bothering me." replied Cruz. "It has to do with Poppy." Tex looked at Cruz and suddenly, the name sounded familiar to him.

"Are you talking about Poppy Wilson?" asked Tex. Cruz nodded again to tell him that was what she was talking about.

"Y-yes." replied Cruz. "She was my best friend and looked up to me as a big sister, even though she's not my real sister." Tex realized how much Poppy meant to Cruz. He had remembered going to high school with Poppy and memories of them began to come back. He began to worry just as much as Cruz was.

"I hope she's alright." replied Cruz. "A few days ago, I tried calling her, but she didn't respond."

"I know. I went to high school with her." replied Tex. "She was very nice and sweet."

"Yes. She was." replied Cruz. "I'm just scared. What if something bad happened to her? What if she's gone and won't come back?"

"I'm not sure. We just have to hope for the best." replied Tex. Cruz had the same feeling in her engine, but part of her mind was telling her that something was off and there was. But she couldn't figure it out. Her thinking finally ended when Tex nudged her with his tire.

"Come on. Let's go back to the business. Tomorrow might be crazy again." replied Tex.

"What's happening tomorrow?" asked Cruz.

"The police are going to search the buildings for all the racing teams again. Just to make sure they didn't miss anything." replied Tex.

"When will they identify the victim?" asked Cruz. Tex shook his head with sadness. "I don't know. Soon hopefully. Let's just hope it wasn't Poppy."

"Yeah." replied Cruz, and the two cars drove back towards the Dinoco business.

 _At the Dinoco business_

When Cruz and Tex arrived at the business, Lightning had been sorting out more papers and files. Cruz saw him and knew she had to apologize to him.

"Mr. McQueen. I'm sorry about being mean. I needed time alone." replied Cruz.

"It's alright Cruz. I'm just glad your ok." replied Lightning as he smiled at her.

"How much more papers need sorting Mr. Tex?" asked Lightning. Tex slightly chuckled. He never knew anyone who always wanted to finish the work.

"I'll take care of the rest Lightning. You deserve a break." replied Tex. Lightning smiled at his sponsor. He liked being on his team. It was fun, exciting, and he got to keep his pit crew. Lightning left the desk, and drove towards Cruz.

"Hey Cruz." replied Lightning. Cruz smiled at him.

"Hey." replied Cruz.

"What's wrong?" asked Lightning. "Why were you so upset before?" asked Lightning. Cruz began to cry a little.

"I'm worried about Poppy. She's my best friend and viewed me as a big sister. We would play together, have sleepovers, and have parties together with the rest of her friends. We even went to high school together. Tex knows her to because he went to high school with her so it was the three of us. He didn't have a lot of time to hang out with us so it was always just the two of us." replied Cruz. "I tried calling her a few days ago, but she didn't respond." Lightning thought about what Cruz had just said to him. He really hoped it wasn't her and thought about how crushed she would feel if it was Poppy. Cruz looked at a picture that was taken of her and Poppy. She really wanted to know if Poppy was still alive and if she was, she couldn't wait to hug her and keep her close to her and never letting her go. Then, Tex came over to where Cruz and Lightning were.

"Ok, time to go. I just finished sorting out the rest of the forms and papers." replied Tex. Lightning drove up next to him.

"Is it true that you went to high school with Poppy and Cruz?" asked Lightning.

"Yes. I did go to school with them, but I didn't have that much time to hang out with them. My parents wanted me to focus more on the schoolwork because my dad wanted me to take over the business once I graduated." replied Tex. "Poppy and Cruz were always together and never left each other's side. Poppy always looked up to her as a big sister." Lightning understood how much Poppy and Cruz were close very close. He really hoped that Poppy was still alive and that she wasn't the victim who was shot at the race.

"I don't think we should talk about Poppy more. It might make Cruz more stressed and scared." replied Tex. Lightning nodded.

"I agree." replied Lightning and everyone left the business for the night.

 **Ok, I know I should've said this in the beginning, but I guess I'll just say it here. So, pretty much this is kinda a crossover on Aurora Teagarden. If you don't know what it is basically it's a mystery series where this girl named Aurora solves mysteries on people who have been victims of crime and at the end of each one, she always solves the case. The specific one that this story is based on is called Reap What You Sew: An Aurora Teagarden Mystery because that's where I got the name Poppy from, and decided to use her in this story. So this is actually my first crossover, but unfortunately there is no option for it. Anyway I hope your enjoying the story so far.**


	6. Chapter 6

Here is chapter 6. Enjoy:)

The next day at the Dinoco business, the police were back. This time, there were 100 officers that responded. Cruz felt very uncomfortable about the police searching the building. She couldn't imagine that anyone on Team Dinoco would do a horrible thing. However, the police had the right to search the building and Cruz had to deal with it wether she liked it or not. Lightning didn't like it himself. He hoped that the police weren't suspecting that Tex had done it. He knew very well that Tex would not do something like this. Just then, Strip Weathers aka "The King" and his nephew, Cal entered the building after getting permission from the police. They couldn't believe how many officers were there.

"What the heck is this?" asked Strip.

"Don't tell me their accusing Tex of doing this crime." replied Cal.

"That is just insane." replied Lightning. "Tex wouldn't commit a crime. All of us know that for sure."

Cruz knew she had to trust Lightning. She had to and had no choice. Even though she had only been with Tex for a year, there was a lot of evidence that proved Tex didn't do it. He was nice, funny, kind, caring, supportive, and selfless for a billionaire. He didn't even judge her that she was a girl and she appreciated that she wasn't mocked. She was being treated right and fairly. Whenever she needed time off she got it. Cruz really hoped that Tex would not be accused of this crime.

"Why are they searching through my folders?" asked Strip. "I'm not on this team anymore."

Tex drove over to where Strip was.

"Don't ever say your not on this team anymore. Do you hear me?" asked Tex.

"Yes sir. I'm sorry sir." replied Strip.

"Even though you don't race for me anymore, your still our golden boy." replied Tex. Strip couldn't help but smile at his friend. For many years he loved working with Tex. But he didn't think Tex would want to remember him since he was an ancient piece of history. He liked Tex's personality. He didn't underestimate anyone. He didn't mistreat anyone on his team, and he didn't care about how much money he made. His personality was funny, caring, loyal, supportive, kind, and a lot more. Most sponsors always forgot about their racers in the past. But for Tex, every racer especially Strip he would always remember. Then one of the officers drove towards Tex.

"Everything is clear." replied Officer Ramos.

"Ok. Thank you." replied Tex and all of the officers left the building. Marshall later on returned.

"Anything new?" asked Tex. Marshall shook his head.

"No. But I think we've got everything we need to start investigating."

"What about the weapon?" asked Cruz. "You need to find the weapon in order to get the fingerprints and DNA. It'll lead you to the killer." Tex glanced at Cruz.

"I'm going to have to have the police do another search warrant. Because we still haven't found it yet so Tex you'll have to endure it again I'm afraid." replied Marshall, and he left. After he left, Tex turned to Cruz.

"Cruz, what did I say about getting involved in these crimes?" asked Tex.

"I'm not getting involved. I'm just asking because no one seemed to find it." replied Cruz. "Sheesh."

Tex began to glare at her. He never liked being mistreated or not being respected. Cruz saw him glaring at her and finally gave up.

"Sorry sir." replied Cruz and she drove back to her desk.


	7. Chapter 7

Here is chapter 7. Sorry it's taking me a while to upload these chapters. it's just a lot to type and I want to type more as much a possible so this way you can read more while i type out the rest anyway enjoy peeps :)

Already it was going to be the third day in a row the police were going to search the Dinoco building. Lightning had been driving himself to the level where he would be stressed out like crazy. He really didn't want to think Tex was responsible for the crime or the police were accusing him of the crime. Tex had decided to at least do some work as much as he could, but that wouldn't work out so well.

"Ok, guys search whatever you missed. I know we checked out everything twice, but I want to make sure none of us missed anything that could lead us to the killer." ordered Detective Smith. All of the officers nodded in agreement and went right to work.

Strip Weathers and Cal drove time with Lynda. After telling his wife about what had happened, Lynda couldn't believe it. She was shocked to believe the police were searching the Dinoco building for the third time. She really didn't want to believe that Tex was accused of the crime, and couldn't imagine that Tex would do anything like this. It was not like him and she really didn't want to think that.

"Again they're searching the building?!" asked Cal. Lightning nodded to his friend.

"Yes, they are. This is insane. I can't imagine why Tex would do this." replied Lightning. Lynda couldn't believe it either. She had been working for Tex for 40 years. Ever since she came to Dinoco, Tex always treated her nice and always gave her days off whenever she needed them.

"I can't believe this. Why just why?" asked Lynda. "I can't imagine Tex doing an action like this at all." Strip agreed what his wife said.

"I don't' know honey. I just don't know." replied Strip. Cruz arrived and drove toward the small group. She had just came after eating breakfast at a nearby diner. However, she drove toward an officer and wanted to find out the victim's identity.

"Officer?" asked Cruz. Officer Ramos looked at her from doing his work.

"Yes, can I help you with something?" asked Officer Ramos.

"Yes. Do you know the victim who was shot at the race?" asked Cruz. officer Ramos looked at her and a dim look appeared on his eyes.

"I-I do know who the victim is but..this may be hard on you umm.." replied Officer Ramos.

"I don't care. I need to know if it's Poppy. Poppy Wilson. She was my best friend and I tried calling her, but she didn't answer." replied Cruz, in an almost voice that sounded like she was going to cry.

"So that was you that tried calling her three days ago." replied Officer Ramos. Cruz thought her engine had just stopped by itself and literally didn't understand what she had just been told.

"Wait, what do you mean?" asked Cruz. This time her voice was in a frantic one. "Where's Poppy?! Where's my best friend?!"

"Poppy was the victim that was shot during the race." replied Officer Ramos. Cruz literally could not believe the news that had just reached her. She felt crushed and began crying. Lightning and the rest of his friends heard Cruz crying and drove over to comfort her. She was bawling her eyes out and could not believe it was Poppy.

"No. Poppy!" screamed Cruz, as she continued crying. Lynda hugged her while Strip went to get her a glass of water to calm her down. Lightning couldn't believe Poppy was not alive anymore. He couldn't believe what Tex was going to hear. He was going to be told the exact same thing as Cruz was told. Just then, one officer had found a disturbing discovery.

"Over here! I found something!" yelled the officer. Everyone went to see what the officer had found and couldn't believe their eyes. The murder weapon was found in an empty drawer and it was right in the drawer of Tex's desk. Along with threatening notes that were sent to Poppy. Cruz began screaming and crying again and Strip was forced to take her out of the building so she wouldn't have a panic attack. Lightning couldn't believe it. He felt that he was in a nightmare and hoped it wasn't true at all. Unfortunately, it was all true and he wasn't having a nightmare. Just then, Tex returned to where the officers were. He had just returned after taking a phone call. He stopped and couldn't believe what the police found.

"Mr. Dinoco." replied Detective Smith, "Your under arrest for the murder of Poppy Wilson."

Tex was shattered. "What!? I didn't kill her!" but Detective Smith refused to listen. Officer Ramos placed the gun and the notes in a bag, while Detective Smith placed a boot on Tex's tire. Lightning, Cal, Lynda, and the rest of Team Dinoco couldn't believe what they were seeing in front of them. Lynda began to cry and forced herself to turn away. Lightning went to her aid along with Cal.

"I can't believe it. Why?" asked Lynda through sobbing tears. "I've known him for a long time and so has Strip. He never did anything wrong. Never!"

At this point, Cal had decided to take his aunt home. He knew she had to get rest and try to calm herself. Bad enough she had to see her former boss being arrested and it only made her freak out more.

"I'm taking you home." said Cal. Lynda was not in the mood to argue so she agreed to let her nephew-in-law to take her home.

Outside, officers escorted Tex to a waiting large police vehicle. He was going to be taken to the station and would be questioned. Cruz screamed while Strip held onto her. She literally couldn't believe what she was seeing in front of her. Strip decided to do the same thing that Cal was going to do. He was going to take her home so she could try to clam herself more. By now, the press had received the breaking update from the police right after they found the gun in Tex's desk.

By now, Cruz had her front fender all red. She felt anger, pain, sorrow, devastation, but most of all disbelief above the other feelings she was feeing. She then passed out and paramedics had arrived to take both her and Lynda to the hospital along with Strip, Lightning, and Cal following the ambulance as fast as they were able to go.


	8. Chapter 8

That night, the press had been working on the breaking news story. Cruz, Lightning, Cal, Lynda, and Strip had the radio on. They were going to wait for the breaking news to come on. Then, it happened. Kori Turbowitz reported.

"And we have breaking news that we got a few hours ago following the murder of the victim who we now know is identified as Poppy Wilson. Officers say that Tex Dinoco has been arrested following a search warrant that took place at the Dinoco business. Officers found the murder weapon, believe to be a '22 caliber gun in his desk. Along with the gun, threatening notes that were sent to the victim. Officers held a brief conference on the update and will be continuing investigating. Our Shannon Spokes has more on the story, Shannon."

"Yes Kori. It is unbelievable what had happened here at Dinoco earlier. Officers say the owner, Tex Dinoco, has been arrested. And already outrage has been starting over it just two hours after police announced his arrest."

Everyone remained silent as footage of Tex being let out from the business played while Shannon continued talking.

"Tex Dinoco is now under arrest. After police say the murder weapon that killed Poppy was found in his desk drawer along with threatening notes to the victim. Fans we spoke to say their outraged and disgusted over the news that he was the killer and responsible for Poppy's murder."

"I can't believe it. He's a nice guy and would put his tires out to anyone. He always treats his employees right, he treats his driver right, and he doesn't care at all about how much money he makes. It is disgusting and I'm very ashamed." replied one fan, who Shannon interviewed earlier.

"And right behind me is the police station where Tex will be questioned later on. I'm Shannon Spokes reporting on this story. Kori."

"Thank you Shannon. And we will be interviewing some of Team Dinoco's racers in the past and their new racer, Cruz Ramirez along with a few others tomorrow. You can listen live on RSN by radio or by TV. Now we will return to regular news after a break." replied Kori and Lightning turned off the radio.

"This isn't fair. He did nothing wrong. He's innocent." replied Cruz in an angry tone. "That's it. I need to play detective and i won't stop until i find Poppy's real killer."

"Cruz, no." said Lightning. "Your not a detective for real."

"Lightning, let her be." replied Strip. Cruz began speaking in a calm tone.

"I know I'm not a detective. But, Poppy was my best friend and I need to be there for her. Even though I couldn't prevent her from being shot or putting a stop to the threatening notes being sent, it doesn't mean I'm giving up. I'm not going to stay in my place while my sponsor is innocent and while my friend's real killer is still on the loose. So are you going to help me or not?"

Everyone looked at Cruz. They wanted to help her and knew she wanted to get justice for her friend. They also wanted to prove that Tex didn't kill Poppy. So everyone gathered around and within a few minutes, Lightning turned back to Cruz.

"Yes, yes Cruz. We'll help you." replied Lightning. Cruz smiled and came over to everyone.

"Thank you." replied Cruz. Everyone smiled at her.

"Your right Cruz. We have to find out who the real killer is and prove that Tex is innocent." replied Lynda. "And we should start now."

Everyone agreed and went to the Dinoco business. Cruz didn't care how much hatred she was going to get for being an amateur sleuth. All she cared about was finding Poppy's real killer, getting justice for her, proving that Tex was innocent, and getting Team Dinoco back to normal. Everyone agreed that they would wake up bright and early and start looking at camera footage and examine the crime scene. However, there was one issue that Cruz would have to do. Marshall allowing her to get involved with police work and having him help her and the rest of her friends.

 **So I should've said this before, but I'm changing the rating to T** **because there is a little bit of violence that occurs later on.**


	9. Chapter 9

Early the next morning, Cruz and the rest of Team Dinoco woke up very early. It was 6 AM and everyone was still tired. But everyone didn't care. What mattered more was finding the truth and who really killed Poppy. Cruz still had to pursade Marshall to allow her to get involved in police work and knew it wasn't going to be easy.

Marshall had been out for the entire night and wouldn't return until late morning into the afternoon. Cruz couldn't wait that long and decided to start and not even care if she was getting involved with police work. She was doing it all for Poppy.

Cruz headed for the front entrance of the building.

"Where are you going?" asked Lightning.

"I'm going to head down to the police station to see if they have any new information." said Cruz.

"I don't know if they're going to allow us to do this." said Strip. "We're not suppose to interfere with the police or the work they do. It's the law." Lynda glared at her husband. She didn't like that he was refusing to help Cruz. Although she knew he was right about obeying the laws. She then kissed her husband, and then smiled tenderly at him

"Strip. I know you want to do what's right. I want to do what's right to. But for once we have to do this. Cruz needs our help. She lost her friend and wants to find her killer. It's only for one time we'll have to get involved." replied Lynda.

"I know, honey, I know. Alright I guess I'll do it." replied Strip, and he kissed his wife.

Cruz left for the police station while everyone else decided to head back to the speedway to examine the crime scene. Cruz really wanted to find Poppy's killer and get justice for her. She knew very well that Tex was innocent and knew she had to dig deeper to know the truth.

 _At the police station_

Cruz arrived at the station along with Sally. She had heard what had happened and agreed to represent Tex as his lawyer. Like everyone else, Sally knew Tex was innocent and would make sure the judge would hold off the trial. Arthur saw them, stopped working, and drove toward them.

"I came to ask if you have new information." replied Cruz.

"What are you doing here?" asked Arthur. "Your not suppose to be getting involved with the police work."

"I know, but the victim was someone I knew and loved very much. It's important that I take part to search for her killer." replied Cruz.

"No. Your not getting involved and that's final." replied Arthur. Cruz couldn't believe this.

"Tex is innocent!" replied Cruz.

"Cruz, the weapon was found in his desk drawer, of course he did it. It proves that he did the crime and everything else." replied Officer Ramos.

"Your wrong. He didn't do it." replied Cruz.

"That's enough. Guys go back to work." replied Arthur. The officers returned to work and Arthur began to speak.

"Look. I don't need to be told how to do my job. If I find out that your getting involved at some point, I will arrest you for obstruction of justice and interference with police work." replied Arthur. "So I suggest to just stay home or wherever you go and let it go." and Arthur left. Strip now didn't want to get involved anymore. He was not going to take the chance of getting in trouble with the law.

"Come on let's go." replied Lightning and everyone followed him out.

"Well that was a mistake." replied Cal.

"You think? We could've been arrested." replied Strip. However, Cruz refused to give up. She was not going to stop right when she was told to stop.

"Fine then don't help." replied Cruz. "I'll do it myself." Strip glowered at what he was told. He had never seen Cruz overreact before and this was the first time he was seeing it.

"You almost got us in trouble!" Strip snapped.

"How did I get us caught then!?" Cruz snapped in an angrier tone. "All I'm trying to do is find Poppy's killer! She is gone but I don't care cause I can still solve her murder and prove that Tex is innocent!"

"Both of you stop!" shouted Lightning and he left. Cruz couldn't believe all the action she had caused. All she tried was to get a start on investigating and solving the crime.

 _Dinoco business 1:30 PM_

When everyone returned, Marshall was waiting. He had received word that Cruz went to the police station earlier and asked for any information that might've came in.

"Miss Cruz. I need to see you. Now!" replied Marshall. Cruz froze. She was scared to death and knew she was probably done and wouldn't be getting anywhere in the case. She followed Marshall to a private room and the door shut behind her. Lynda, Cal, Lightning, and Strip all heard voices that sounded angry and tense.

"What are you doing!? You know your not suppose to get involved in police work!" replied Marshall.

"I'm not getting involved! I'm trying to find Poppy's killer and the real truth! Your own boss is innocent!" replied Cruz. "I'm trying to help!"

"Your not doing yourself any favor! Just stay where you are, do your job, and let me do my job!" replied Marshall, and he left the room in anger. Lightning and the rest of his friends watched as Marshall left the building. Cruz came out a little bit later.

"I don't care what he says! I'm going to find her killer!" replied Cruz. Everyone decided to remain their investigating a secret. Strip reluctantly agreed to keep it a secret and then the deal was set.

"Well, we still have to be interviewed at the reporting studio." replied Cal.

"Your right." replied Lightning.

"Well, lets go." replied Strip, and everyone followed him to the studio where RSN was located.


	10. Chapter 10

Lightning, Cal, Strip, Lynda, and Cruz arrived at the studio for RSN. Shannon, Darrell, and Kori were waiting for them. They were going to interview them about what they thought of Tex being accused of the murder even though they probably knew the answer from all of them.

"Lightning and Cal, your going to go with Kori." replied a camera man.

"Strip and Lynda. You'll go with Shannon." replied another director.

"And Cruz, you'll go with Darrell." replied one security officer.

After everyone was assigned to where they were going to go, they were taken into separate rooms and would be interviewed. Strip hated being interviewed. Whenever he was selected, it would always appear on TV and radio and he hated it. But he knew it was for Tex and he had to prove he was innocent so he took the interview option.

 **Lightning and Cal's interview with Kori**

Lightning and Cal were the first to be interviewed. Kori parked across from the two racers and they parked next to each other. The camera began to roll.

"Lightning. We know you work for Tex and that he's accused of the crime what do you think of this?" asked Kori.

"Tex obviously didn't do this crime. And even though I've only been working with him for a year, I know him a lot more than the police. He's a hard worker, he's a great business man, he takes care of his staff, his employees and everyone else. I just don't see how he commited this crime. And I don't care what anyone thinks." replied Lightning. After the camera finished recording his statement, Kori went to Cal.

"Cal, you only worked for Tex within 10 years. And unlike your uncle who knew him longer, do you think the police are wrong and if so, what do you think they should work on?"

"I think the police need to check for evidence a lot more. I know they found a lot of it in his business but for some reason, I feel that it wasn't there throughout the entire time. I want the police to look into it more because I know there is something wrong and i know Tex didn't do this crime."

"What do you think everyone else is saying about the news?" asked Kori.

"I feel that all the fans are supporting us through this hard time. I know for Cruz its hard but I promise that we will try to get back on track as soon as possible. As for all the fans, I'd like to thank all of you for supporting us and standing up for Tex."

 **Strip and Lynda's interview with Shannon Spokes**

Strip and Lynda were ready to be interviewed. Strip didn't like it though because they would always be shown on TV, but he knew this was for his friend and he had to take some part in the mess.

"Strip, we'll start with you." replied Shannon. Strip nodded in agreement and Shannon asked her first question.

"As Dinoco's golden boy, you have known Tex for a long time. How do you feel about your former sponsor and a close friend of yours being claimed responsible for this murder?"

"It makes me feel shocked and upset because I have been with him for over 20 years and he has never committed any crime like this or committed a bad thing. He has a caring personality and he loves all of his staff members. I know everyone that has been with us for the past few weeks has been showing us support and I want to thank everyone that has been staying by all of us. I know Cruz is going through a hard time between losing her close friend and now having to deal with her sponsor gone, i feel that this team will need a lot of support and we appreciate the support everyone is giving us."

"How has everyone been affected by this shocking news?" asked Shannon.

"Everyone has a different point of view. Mostly its the haters that are saying he committed the crime. The fans though disagree and as everyone else has been saying I have a feeling that the weapon and the notes were not in that spot all throughout the entire time. I think someone else put it there." replied Strip.

Shannon nodded, then began to ask Lynda questions. Lynda was ready for her first question and would do her best to not cry on camera.

"As a known worker to Tex and a close friend to him, you've seen how he is with the staff, your husband, the other racers, and the other sponsors. Do you think the police are accusing the wrong car for this murder?"

"I think the police are. I know everyone is going to say that all the evidence was found in our building, but as my husband said I have a feeling the items were not there all along, but no one knows for sure. I actually don't believe the police because Tex never did anything bad and he never committed a crime. It makes feel hurt because everyone is saying that Tex is a criminal and I don't want to believe it, and I know everyone else on the team doesn't want to believe it at all. Cruz is going through a lot now between losing her friend and having her sponsor gone, we have to stick together through this hard time and trust that it will be a mistake later on."

"How do you see yourself in this mess along with everyone else?" asked Shannon.

"Well as a long close friend to Tex, I can't understand why he ism being accused of the crime but I see myself as someone who wants to help prove that he is innocent, but I can't prove it because I'm not a lawyer. I just think the team needs all the support they can get and everyone should just stick close to one another."

 **Cruz's interview with Darrell**

Cruz was ready for her interview. Earlier she was crying and wanted to go last so she wouldn't feel the need to rush through even through Darrell told her a few times to not rush and take her time.

"Cruz, I know this is a hard time for you so I'll only ask you a couple of questions." replied Darrell. Cruz nodded in agreement and Darrell asked his first question.

"As a racer for Dinoco, you've only been here for a year. How did it make you feel when you saw your sponsor being taken away by the police?"

Cruz remained silent for a while. She began to cry a little and began to answer.

"He didn't commit this crime I know he didn't. He is loyal to me and takes care of me. He loves his staff, he treats them well, and he cares about everyone. It makes me feel robbed and it also makes me feel that Tex is a criminal and its being spread all over the place. I know he's not a criminal and I want to prove he's innocent, and I can. Poppy was my best friend and her murder makes me feel crushed and robbed, but what hurts me the most is that everyone thinks Tex did the crime and he didn't."

"Do you think the notes and the murder weapon were in Tex's desk all along?" asked Darrell.

"No. I think someone framed Tex and I can prove he didn't commit the crime." replied Cruz.

Cruz's response about Tex being framed for the murder surprised Darrell. Later on that night, everyone's interviews were on TV. When Cruz's interview came up, everyone froze when she said that someone framed Tex.

"Someone framed Tex?" asked Lynda.

"Those notes were not in there including the gun. Someone else put them in there to make it look like Tex did it and now I'm going to find out who really is behind the crime and prove that my sponsor is innocent." replied Cruz.


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: I'm so sorry I have not updated this story for a while. When I last updated this, it was a few weeks into the new school year and ever since then, I didn't have the chance to update and write out more chapters. I know it's probably almost a year since I added the last chapter, but here are the other chapters. By this time, I forgot the entire story line, but I managed to remember some of it in order to finish the chapters. I hope you all understand. I want to let you know that I didn't abandon the story, but I just didn't have time. Thank you for your patience :)**

 **~Charlotte Weathers aka TheKingDinoco (Author)**

Following the interviews being shown to the public, Cruz and the rest of Dinoco began to look for evidence. The team wanted to do anything they could to prove that Tex was innocent and didn't commit the crime. Still, Cruz found it hard to believe that her sponsor could do such a horrible thing. Even though she had only been with him for a year. Cruz went through what she had known so far and had taken notes on what everyone knew. Strip was still being skeptical because he knew he wasn't suppose to be involved with police work.

"I really think we should let the police deal with it." replied Strip.

"Are you crazy!? The police think Tex committed the crime!" replied Cruz. "He's innocent I know he is!"

"Can we stop arguing and just focus on what we're suppose to be doing?" asked Cal.

"He's right. We're suppose to look for anything that might tell us Tex didn't commit this crime. So what's the summary so far?" asked Lightning.

"Ok so we know that the incident occurred after the race was over. So that was around 4:15. We also know that Tex was in the Dinoco stand all along. He says he always stays there." replied Cruz.

"Sometimes he's not always there though. Sometimes he goes to get a snack and then comes back to where he was." replied Strip.

"But he was there all along. He said he doesn't want to leave the stands because it's hard getting back and sometimes there's fights." replied Cal.

"Ok, well I'll confirm that with him." replied Cruz.

"So what else are we looking for?" asked Lightning.

"Well, we know Tex didn't send notes at all to Poppy. He didn't even know her that well." replied Cruz.

"I think we can start with the fact if Poppy had any enemies." replied Lynda.

Cruz agreed to that choice. If someone ended up being a target for a reason like Poppy, then enemies could play a role in it. However, Cruz wasn't sure if Poppy has any enemies at all, since they were always together.

All day long, Cruz began asking anyone that knew Poppy if she had any enemies. Most of them couldn't remember and it had been a while since some of them saw her. Cruz knew the same feeling. She knew Poppy most of her life and learning the news that she was dead made her feel like she lost a special light in her life. But unfortunately, there was nothing Cruz got and it went back to square one.

"I don't think we're going to get anything out of this." Replied Lightning.

"He's right I'm afraid." Replied Strip.

"We have to keep trying. I'm determined to find the real killer and prove Tex is innocent."

Weeks went by and Cruz found a lot of evidence. She started doing background checks and managed to get a summary of what the entire setting of the crime scene was.

"Okay so I got a summary of what we know. We know that Poppy was killed during the race and we know that Tex is accused of killing her because they found the gun in his desk. However, I'm certain the gun wasn't there all along. I presume someone else did the crime, put the gun in Tex's desk, and did it so they could frame him."

"But, who would want to frame him?" Asked Lightning

"Well, it would be someone who hates him and can't stand him at all. That's the most logical theory we could think of." Replied Cruz.

"Well, he has a lot of business enemies. But I think in this case we need to think of the most hated enemies that Tex has. Ones that have pure hatred for him." Strip added.

"Yeah. That would be the best place to start." Replied Cruz.

Lightning began to do some background checks on some staff members from the Piston Cup Circuit. Some were in the past and retired, while others had been fired for behavioral reasons or criminal incidents.

"Hey what about him?" Asked Strip. "Of course you all know him, but Chick Hicks, oh boy I think we should look at him."

"You never had a grudge against him though." Lynda gently ran a tire on her husband's fender.

"I know, but you know how he was when Tex wouldn't give him the sponsorship. He was mad and he has pure hatred for Tex."

"I'll see if Robert will interview him." Replied Cruz.

"Okay." Replied Lightning. "There's also Sterling and Jackson. Maybe he can question them as well."

"Whatever it takes to find the real killer, we'll go for it." Cruz used all of her determination to prove that Tex was innocent and didn't commit this crime.

For days, Cruz dug further and further down for evidence. Even though she knew the evidence was pointing to Tex, Cruz knew everyone was wrong. She had to prove it.

"Hey Cruz!" Called Lightning.

"Yeah?"

"I found out that Robert is going to question Chick along with Jackson. Someone said they both have pure hatred for Tex so that's what prompted Robert into questioning them."

"I just remembered someone else as well. Sterling."

"I asked Robert if he could question Sterling."

"What did he say?"

"He said no."

"Well, then I'm going."

"What!? Cruz no. If Robert finds out, he'll arrest you along with the police department. I think we should let him handle this. "

"I'm not letting my sponsor sit in a prison cell for a crime he didn't commit. I have to find Poppy's killer and also prove that Tex isn't a criminal like everyone thinks. I'm going to question him and nothing can stop me."

Lightning must've thought Cruz was out of her mind. She could end up in trouble and could faced charges of obstruction of justice and interfering with police business. Of course, he couldn't argue with her. She was doing it for Poppy and her sponsor and friend, Tex. These two cars were a lot to her and meant so much. Even though she lost one of her friends, she still had the other and she was determined to help him get free from prison.


	12. Chapter 12

Jackson Storm and Chick Hicks were suppose to be heading to the police station. However, they decided to do a sneaky plan. Jackson would head to the station and Chick would go to Sterling's new business. Chick agreed and left, while Jackson made his way to the police station.

 _Police Headquarters_

 _1:00 PM_

Jackson entered the police station. Marshall glanced over at him along with Arthur and the two officers went over to him.

"I suppose your ready to interview me." Replied Storm.

"Where's Chick?" Marshall was not going to let him get away without being questioned.

"He said he's going to be here in a while. He forgot something at his house so he told me to go and he'd catch up with me." He smiled honestly. However, they didn't know that he was lying and they would soon be finding themselves in a risky situation. Marshall remained suspicious, but nodded.

"Very well then. Arthur, you go and question him. I'll stay here and wait for Chick."

"Okay. Follow me." Arthur motioned for Jackson to follow him into an interrogation room where the questioning would happen.

* * *

 _Sterling's Business_

 _1:30 PM_

Sterling was doing his normal business routine. Filling out papers and organizing papers for his next work assignment. It wasn't anything like the job he had before, but he still made a good profit from it and loved it. He liked his other job, but ever since that controlling oil billionaire had taken it from him, he didn't want to return to the Piston Cup Circuit. He was about to settle down from his hectic schedule when Cruz entered. A feeling of suspicion began to replace his relaxed feelings he had before she came in. What did she want from him now? Why was she coming to him? Refusing to argue, Sterling flashed a friendly, but fake smile at Cruz.

"Cruz, how can I help you?"

"Just need to ask you a few questions about something." Cruz replied. Sterling nodded and escorted her to a room where they could settle down comfortably. After settling down, Cruz was ready to ask Sterling her questions.

"So, what did you want to ask me?" Sterling asked, his fake and friendly smile remained on his front. Cruz placed a notebook in front of her and began to speak.

"So as you might know, Tex is charged with Poppy Wilson's murder and is in police custody. However, I'm going to prove that he is innocent and didn't commit this crime. Because I know he didn't do it. So my first question is, did you ever know Poppy?"

Sterling paused for a brief moment. Was she really questioning him about that murder? He thought he was hearing things and didn't think they should be talking about that. However, he still had his plan in place and prepared himself. Beginning to speak he replied with his answer.

"I've never heard of that name at all." Cruz nodded and wrote down his answer briefly.

"Where were you the night Poppy was killed?"

"I was at home, preparing a meal for myself and feeding my cat."

Cruz began to feel her own feelings of suspicion. Something was not adding up. Especially the way Sterling was behaving. She wrote down his answer, her suspicious feelings still hanging inside of her.

* * *

 _At the Police Station_

"Mr. Storm, as you know, we're going to question you because we were told that you and Chick have grudges against Tex Dinoco-"

"That's insane! I don't have grudges against Tex!" Jackson interrupted. "I just don't like him."

"I'm still questioning you." Arthur left no room for arguing.

"Fine." He huffed.

"Do you or Chick have any grudges against Mr. Dinoco?"

"No, we don't. We just don't like him. At least I don't like him, but Chick hates him a lot."

"What is his reason?"

"In 2006, Chick stated that he won the Piston Cup, but he seriously caused The King to crash and everyone said he cheated. He did it in front of the entire world, not just the cameras. Mr. Dinoco refused to sponsor him because of that and since then, he hated him and the two had tensions every now and then."

"Did he ever threatened Tex or anyone else on Team Dinoco?'

"No. In fact Tex went to the Piston Cup officials so this way they could tell Chick to stay away from him and his team. He didn't want anyone to get hurt or possibly face threats from him."

The interview continued for another few minutes before Arthur ended his questioning.

"Thank you for your time Mr. Storm, you may leave."

Jackson left the interrogation room while Arthur followed behind him. Marshall was still out front waiting for Chick.

"Still didn't show up?"

"Nope. But I need to grab something to eat."

"Sure. Go ahead. I can keep watch while you take a break."

"Thanks." Replied Marshall, and he left.

Jackson left the police station and knew where to go next. He smirked as he began making his way toward Sterling's business.

* * *

 _Dinoco Racing Headquarters_

Lightning and the rest of the team were parked all over the lot. They were worried and nervous about what was happening to Cruz. It had been a few hours since she had gone to Sterling's business and she hadn't returned.

"I'm worried. Do you think we should call her or text her?" Strip asked.

"I tried, but I got her voicemail." Replied Lightning.

"This is making me anxious. What if she doesn't return and what if she ends up in the same position as Poppy did?" Asked Cal.

"We'll just have to hope for the best." Replied Lynda.

"Yeah. I guess that's all we can do." Replied Lightning.

* * *

 _Sterling's Business_

Cruz and Sterling had been talking for a while now. Sterling was getting annoyed at this point and began having enough of Cruz's questions.

"I apologize Mr. Sterling, but I'll need to ask one more question."

"Fine." He rolled his eyes.

"Who do you think killed Poppy?"

At this moment, Sterling's expression changed like a storm cloud. Cruz saw a note lying at his front tire. It was the same note that the police had found when Poppy was murdered. Cruz slightly gasped in shock and soon heard the click of a gun. She turned around and saw Sterling pointing the gun at her.

"You just made this a lot harder on yourself."


	13. Chapter 13

"It was you! You were the one who killed Poppy and framed Tex for all of this."

"You are one hundred percent correct. I knew someone would figure out who killed her. It just had to be someone who was smart."

"Why would you do this? What did she do to you?"

"I didn't kill Poppy because I hated her. I did it because I wanted to frame Tex for something and I got my wish. That is, until you showed up. Everything was going so well. I had my plans working out and my accomplices were helpful-"

"You had acccomplices as well! I knew all along you would. You, Jackson, and Chick are all responsible for-"

"Enough! Your going in the back of the store! Go now!"

Obediently, Cruz drives to the back of Sterling's business and parks herself between a desk and cardboard boxes. She bravely watches as two familar cars came in. And as she had predicted, it was Jackson and Chick.

"You two with me now! She found us." Sterling said, his gun still drawn out.

"Who?" Jackson asked. He was confused for a moment about who the car was that had solved the complicated crime.

"It was Cruz Ramirez. She solved the crime and she's correct."

"Where is she?" Chick asked.

"In the back. Go now."

Chick went to the back of the business and began searching for Cruz. She came out and stared him down, like a criminal that had just underestimated her ability on crime solving.

"Your the one who was in charge of this disgusting plan. You told Jackson and Sterling to frame Tex and put the notes and the weapon in his desk drawer."

"How did you figure that out?"

"I saw a note next to Sterling's tire. It was the same exact type of note that was found in Tex's desk when the police arrested him."

"That's right. I framed Tex because that oil billionaire wouldn't let me get the Dinoco sponsorship, nor would he sponsor me. I had to do something to get payback for what he did. Once Sterling and Jackson found out, they were with my plan. They couldn't stand Tex at all. So they had to go with me about my scheme on him."

"You are just a disgusting car. No one should kill someone else, especially framing someone for murder when they didn't even do it. You didn't even deserve the sponsorship or Dinoco at all after what you did to The King."

"Well, you'll be next to go." Replied Chick, as he pulled out a taser and aimed it at Cruz.

* * *

 _Dinoco Business_

"Someone should go to Sterling's business and check on Cruz. I have a bad feeling something bad is happening to her." Lynda replied nervously, her tire resting on her husband's fender.

"I'll go." Replied Lightning.

"I'm coming with you." Replied Strip. Without second thoughts, he texted Arthur and Marshall for help, hinting that Jackson, Chick, and Sterling were responsible for Poppy's murder and now had Cruz hostage at Sterling's business.

"Be careful. Both of you." Lynda nervously kissed her husband and watched them leave for Sterling's business.

* * *

 _Sterling's Business_

Chick continued aiming his taser at Cruz. She remained parked in her position and knew that help would soon arrive. Chick just let his evil grin remain on his front, trying at every angle to make Cruz nervous and scared.

"You can scare me all you want, but you won't get away with this anytime soon. The police will be aware of your location and then Tex will be released."

Chick growled in anger as he realized that she was right. Quickly, he grabbed Cruz and took her to the front once more.

"We need to get out of here! Now."

"Why?" Asked Sterling. He continued talking to Storm about an escape plan, but it would soon backfire. His phone was gripped tightly with his tire.

"The police will know where we are. They will come and find us."

As soon as Chick finished his sentence, he was right. Sirens began blaring and immediately came toward the business. Sterling snatched Chick's taser from him while Jackson pointed a large sword at the police. Suddenly, Cruz began fightning back against her hostage takers. Two police officers immediately took charge and aimed for the business. Lightning and Strip had just arrived as all the action began unfolding. They watched in shock as the police began breaking glass and soon barracaded themselves inside, leaving the three criminals caught in their crossroads.

"Police! Show us your tires and get down on the ground!" Officers began ordering the three criminals to surrender while sirens continued blaring. Relunctantly but obdiently, Chick, Sterling, and Jackson surrendered to the police and were arrested without incident.

"All three of you are under arrest for the murder of Poppy Wilson. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, we will provide one for you. Let's go."

The three cars were taken into custody silently. Lightning immediately went to check to make sure Cruz was alright. She was fine and had been able to take care of herself.

"Are you okay?" Lightning asked frantically.

"I'm okay." Replied Cruz.

"Next time, I hope you stay away from a murder investigation. This isn't safe. You could've been killed." Replied Strip.

"Okay. I promise." Replied Cruz. Arthur approached them a while later.

"Mr. Dinoco was just released. He's at the headquarters if you want to see him."

"Okay. We'll head over there." Replied Strip.

"Okay. Take care." Replied Arthur and he left.

* * *

 _Dinoco Racing Headquarters_

Cruz, Lightning, and Strip arrived at the headquarters a few minutes later. Tex was there, waiting for them.

"Tex! Your here!" Replied Cruz. She immediately gave her sponsor a hug and smiled happily. Everything was now back in the way it should be and the wrong car was released, while the right cars were arrested and charged for murder. Cruz had managed to move on with her life and now focuses on seeking more wins for her team and thanks to her crime solving talent, her sponsor was innocent and was now in the clear.

 **So, this is my first mystery fanfic on Cruz. Again, I apologize for not updating this fanfic for a while, but here is the last and final chapter. And good news, I've decided that this will now be a series starring Cruz as the main character. From now on, I'm going to type out all the chapters before I publish the story because I almost didn't want to complete it. Anyway, I hope you like it and I'll see you for my next adventurous fanfic :)**


End file.
